ia.mo 


Duke  University  Libraries 

Message  of  the 
Conf  Pam  12mo  #766 


'WtJ:  *  /-*  #*? 


MESSAGE  OF  THE  PRESIDENT, 


Richmond,  Ya.,  January  17,  1S63. 

To  the  House  of  Representative  : 

I  herewith  transmit  a  communication  from  the  Secretary  of  "War. 
covering  a  copy  of  an  official  report  recently  made  by  Colonel  Imbo- 
dcn,  asked  for  in  a  resolution  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  on  the 
l")th  instant. 

JEFFERSON  DAVIS. 


LETTER  OF  THE  SECRETARY  OF  WAR. 


CONFEDERATE  STATES  OF  AMERICA,  \ 

War  Department, 
Richmond,  Va.,  January  17,  1863.  ) 

His  Excellency,  The  President  : 

Sir  :  I  have  the  honor  to  enclose  a  copy  of  the  official  report  recently 
made  by  Colonel  Imboden,  in  reference  to  the  outrages  perpetrated  by 
General  Milroy,  upon  the  patriotic  people  of  the  Northwestern  and 
Valley  districts  of  Virginia,  in  response  to  a  resolution  of  the  House 
of  Representatives,  adopted  on  the  loth  instant. 

\ 
Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

JAMES  A.  SEDDON, 

Secretary  of  War. 


REPORT  OF  rOLOXKI.  [MBODEN. 


Headq'rs  C.  S.  Troops  on  Shenandoah  Mountains,  Va.,  \ 

sember  9th,  1862.      J 

His  Excellency,  The  President  : 

Sir  :  Day  before  yesterday,  Mr.  Job  Parsons,  a  citizen  of  Tucker 
county,  in  this  State,  personally  well  known  to  me  as  a  man  of  the 
highest  respectability,  came  to  this  camp  to  enlist  under  my  com- 
mand. He  was  pursued  by  eight  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  for  many 
miles,  but  his  Buperior  knowledge  of  the  mountains  enabled  him  to 
elude  his  pursuers  and  escape.  He  handed  me  the  enclosed  original 
papers,  which  had  been  "served  upon"  him  by  the  military  authori- 
ties at  St.  George.  A  similar  assessment  was  made  on  Mr.  Parson's 
father  for  $300,  and  on  another  relative  for  $700,  and  payment  coerced 
under  the  same  diabolical  throats.  The  pretext  of  "  robberies  of 
Union  men  by  bands  of  guerillas,"  is  a  falsehood.  The  fact  is,  that 
/  rnion  men  have  conspired  to  run  oft' each  other's  horses  to  Pennsylvania, 
where  they  are  secretly  sold,  the  owners  afterwards  setting  up  a  claim 
for  reparation  on  the  false  ground  that  "guerillas"  have  robbed 
them. 

I  enclose  this  evidence  of  the  atrocity  of  General  Milroy,  for  such 
action  as  your  Excellency  may  deem  expedient  in  retaliation,  either 
as  a  restraint  upon  this  savage,  or  a  punishment,  should  his  horrible 
threat  ever  be  carried  into  execution. 

This  is  only  one  of  a  thousand  barbarities  practiced  here  in  these 
distant  mountains,  of  which  I  have  almost  daily  heard  lor  the  last  four 
months.      Oh,  for  a  day  of  retribution  ! 

With  the  highest  respect. 

Your  obedient  servant. 

Signed,)  JOHN  D.  IMBODEN, 

Colonel  commanding. 


(TRTHJRS  OF   GENERAL  MILROY. 


St.  George,  Tucker  Co.,  West  Va  . 
November  27th,  1862. 

Mr.  Joe  Parsons,  {son  of  Abraham)  : 

You  are  hereby  ordered  to  report  in  person  or  by  your  representa- 
tive, at  my  headquarters  in  St.  George  Court-House,  on  the  28th  of 
November,  18G2,  to  attend  to  business  of  vital  importance  to  yourself. 
And  in  case  of  your  failure  to  comply  with  the  above  order,  you  must 
suffer  the  penalty. 

By  order  of  Brigadier  General  R.  H.  Milroy. 

(Signed,)  Captain  HORACE  KELLOGG, 

Post  commandant. 


St.  George,  Tucker  Countv,  Va.,  ^ 
November  28th,  1862.      5 

Mr.  Job  Parsons,  {son  of  Abraham  Parsons)  : 

Sir  :  In  consequence  of  certain  robberies  which  have  been  perpetra- 
ted upon  Union  citizens  of  Tucker  county,  Va.,  by  bands  of  guerillas, 
you  are  hereby  assessed  to  the  amount  of  fourteen  dollars  and  twenty- 
five  cents,  ($14,25)  to  make  good  their  losses;  and  upon  your  failure 
to  comply  with  the  above  assessment,  by  paying  the  money  over  to  me 
by  the  first  day  of  December,  1862,  the  following  order- will  be  exe- 
cuted, viz  : 

"  If  they  fail  to  pay  at  the  end  of  the  time  you  have  named,  their 
houses  will  be  burned  and  themselves  shoty  and  their  property  all  seized; 
and  be  sure  that  you  carry  out  this  threat  rigidly,  and  show  them  that 
von  are  not  trilling  or  to  be  trifled  with. 

"You  will  inform  the  inhabitants  for  tenor  fifteen  miles  around 
your  camp,  on  all  the  roads  approaching  the  town,  upon  which  the 
enemy  may  anproach,  that  they  must  dash  in  and  give  you  notice, 
and  that  upon  failure  of  any  one  to  do  so,  their  houses  will  be  burned 
and  the  nen  shot." 

By  order  of  Brigadier  General  R.  II.  Milroy. 

(Signed,)  Captain  HORACE  KELLOGG, 

Commanding  post. 


pepmaLife® 
pH  8.5 


